Have you wanted to channel your anger into something productive? Sometimes letting off some steam might just be what you need at the moment. But is all this rage taking you toward the better?
However, before we talk about utilizing this emotion we should first understand what it is.
What is Anger?
Anger is one of the very basic emotions a human expresses like – happiness, fear, disgust, and, sadness. Anger is also known as wrath or rage. It is a very serious state of mind. A person might feel a very strong sense of discomfort and might not want to cooperate. A response fueled by anger is usually immediate, and the purpose is to cause damage- either emotional or physical.
A lot of individuals like entrepreneurs, artists, writers wish they could use all this rage and energy. They wish to use this anger and energy into something productive, or more creative.
How to channel your anger into something productive.
As discussed, and as you might already know (which, I assume you do, unless you’re a monk or something), anger is an intense emotion. The body goes into a fight or flight mode and you are ready to throw hands at any moment. However, when it goes away, the rain and thunder stop, and your rationale takes over again, you realize, you could have used that energy to do something productive.
If only you could channel all that angry energy into doing something you have been procrastinating on. Or if only you could have just used that creativity you suddenly developed to make up those intelligent insults for writing that blog post (been there, seen that). Or in case it got physical, you might want to get all that energy and strength back and use it to rearrange the furniture on Sunday when you don’t have work.
Anger has a great amount of energy and intensity. All this energy and intensity is released by expressions like screaming, hitting, or thinking ill of someone when we get aggravated. However, the question here is, how to channel all that energy acquired from anger or rage into doing something productive.
Our anger comes from a sense of loss of control. We feel angry because we feel like there is no solution to the problem. Aggression carries a lot of energy, but, the only problem is that the energy we acquire from anger is actually destructive. However, it takes patience and practicing a few simple steps to turn it into something useful. These steps are as follows
Hold it right there
If you are an aggressive and impatient person, as in, you are one of those who react instantaneously, you might need to work upon this one. Just because there are times when one might actually need to react right away, doesn’t mean this has to be the case every time.
I know you want to remove that profile picture from your Whatsapp and you want to upload that sad quote on your Instagram. I get it. Been there done that. However, what you need to realise is that all of this won’t benefit you or anyone in any way.
Reacting is important at times. After all, you do need to express your disagreement in some form. But, sometimes it isn’t necessary. Sometimes, the very expression of anger can land you in a situation far worse. So, by holding it right there, you are avoiding that negative outcome.
Reconsider your response
Now that you are holding back your quick angry response you have gained yourself time to think about your reaction.
If it is something you were going to say, make it go through these 3 filters-
Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true?
If it does not resonate with these 3 ideas, then it is better you not respond. About 90% of the time, you will realize that the response you were about to give was irrational and only out of anger.
Acknowledge your anger
Anger is a powerful emotion but it shouldn’t be seen as entirely negative. Each one of us gets angry. Therefore, even though there is a chance your response might be irrational but your feeling isn’t.
Anger is an evolutionary trait that is primitively supported to protect us from danger. This is why you suddenly feel energized upon getting angry. This instinct helps to put you into fight or flight mode in a matter of seconds. This is the very energy whose power you need to harness.
Find what made you angry. Analyse hat made you feel hurt and why it made you feel that way. Now that you have acknowledged your anger, you need to channel it to do something productive.
Think about your goals that need your attention and energy right now
We all have haters (or atleast that’s what we like to believe) and we all want to experience that joy that comes from showing them how you proved them wrong.
So what else is better than achieving your long term goals? These goals need your effort right? Yes! Then go for it. Channel the energy you gained from this anger into doing actual work that will benefit you.
Find things that you have been procrastinating on. If you are a school student, this might be the perfect time to finish that assignment that has been hanging over your head since the past week. If you don’t have any due assignments then pick up those books and start studying.
Not just students, this applies to everyone, be it a working professional, an entrepreneur, an intern, an artist or a college student.
However, what you need to keep in mind is- Do not see anger as a negative emotion. Do not percieve the energy as negative energy. If you paint this in a negative color, you will end up having a negative feeling about the tasks you perform and subconsciously see them as negative as well.
Anger is just a consequent feeling
Allow yourself to feel hurt, angry. Most people end up suppressing their anger and letting it eat them on the inside. Anger is just an emotion and it arises when you feel hurt. Individuals percieve anger as a negative emotion because they feel a sense of loss of control.
Channeling your anger into something productive gives you the sense of control back. After all you know you are working on something that is under your control.
We all have felt out emotions taking over our better judgement. We have all felt bad about something or the other when reacting aggresively to what made us feel that way.
Your anger is not responsible for ruining your relationships with people- Your reaction is.
You might not be able to control your reaction every single time. You will fail a few times too, but you need to forgive yourself for giving in.
Keep getting involved in educating yourself. Make it a habit to volunteer in organisations that help make this world a better place to live.
If you liked How to channel your anger into productivity, also read How to deal with comparison with others
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